Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) and analytical equipment manufacturer Waters has opened an international food safety training facility in New York, aimed at improving compliance with EU food import standards. The Fera International Food Safety Training Laboratory (Fera IFSTL) will primarily train scientists concerned with exporting foods to Europe.
Experts from Fera will lead training programmes that teach best practice methods to analysts from overseas, using state-of-the art technology and equipment for determining chemical contaminants and residues in food. This will enable food producing countries around the world to implement their own solutions and gain access to the opportunities offered by trade with Europe.
Formally inaugurating the new training laboratory, Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lords), said, “It is encouraging to see the public and private sectors working together to facilitate trade from outside the EU. This will improve food safety testing for food imported into the EU, ensuring food is safe before it reaches our tables.”
Adrian Belton, Chief Executive Officer, Fera commented, “We welcome this opportunity to be able to pass on our expertise in food analytical testing. This is underpinned by over 30 years scientific experience in the area, together with detailed knowledge of current and emerging regulations, and internationally recognised quality standards. All of our food analysis work is carried out in modern laboratories by highly trained scientists, using state-of-the-art analytical equipment.”
The Fera IFSTL has been launched as part of an international network of food safety training laboratories aimed at raising standards of food safety testing globally. The first IFSTL was opened in the US in September 2011 by the US Food and Drug Administration, University of Maryland and Waters. The training facilities in the network will coordinate and share expertise. As new facilities are added to the network, they will do the same, increasing knowledge and the use of global best practices.
Art Caputo, Executive Vice President, Waters Corp, “We are pleased to partner with Fera in establishing this lab near New York. We believe that this collaboration will lead to better science and technology, and this in turn will help us raise the bar on food safety. We know the scale of this challenge requires us to address it globally, which is why we are excited to expand the IFSTL network.”
As part of the collaboration with Fera, Waters helped establish the laboratory’s construction, provided analytical systems and assisted Fera in designing training programmes. The facility is equipped with Waters’ state-of-the-art ACQUITY UPLC-MS/MS systems, sample preparation components, and mycotoxin analysis tools.
The Fera IFSTL dedicated training facility has the capacity to teach 200 professionals per year. In the first year of operation courses will cover pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues and mycotoxins. In subsequent years the range of courses will be expanded, including running bespoke courses for specific customers if required, and the number and length of courses offered per year will be increased.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai
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